Throughout this paper informative aspects of the needs and expectations that should be considered when dealing with stakeholders will be highlighted. Included within this paper the reader will note the influences stakeholders have when creating/running a program. The expectations of the funding institution, as well as the expectations of the community, administrators and staff will also be found throughout this paper.
While this paper seems to be very informative it is very brief and rather intriguing to those who are studying within the human services field.Minor compromises with budgeting and program dynamics are included as a mere suggestion. Please note that included will be a answers to questions addressed from the stand point of the different stakeholder’s that directly affect The St. Joseph Family Homeless Shelter.
In any human services program, one of the most influential stakeholders happens to be the funding institution. The human services program must consider the needs as well as the expectations of many stakeholders which include and are not limited to the program staff and administrators, the community the program serves and the funding institution.The St Joseph Family Homeless Shelter has recently decided to change their targeted population and services being offered. Making a decision to change services provided and who is eligible takes plenty of commitment and a lot of time and effort from all parties involved.
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs is currently offering funding programs to programs such as The St. Joseph Family Homeless Shelter as well as any non-profit agency. As a potential stakeholder of The St.Joseph Family Homeless Shelter there are many accommodation’s that should be made in order to satisfy the funder’s needs and expectations.
“The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) is a State agency created to provide administrative guidance, financial support and technical assistance to local governments, community development organizations, businesses and individuals to improve the quality of life in New Jersey” (NA,2013). The NJDCA grant program “Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program” will expect the St.Joseph Family Homeless Shelter to provide services to people are living inhabitable places, families who have lost their main nighttime residence and or any families who lack the resources or support of any kind to remain in housing as well as families who are served with eviction notices. Such a major stakeholder such as NJDCA can really make a difference on whether or not the organization will make it or not.
A stakeholder that is supported by political heads can really help pull strings when applying for more assistance and grants.However, although as an organization meeting the expectations of our funder’s is very important. We must provide room and board for the families faced with homelessness. We must implement counseling sessions for each family member as well as life skills.
Administrators along aside funders must also be taken seriously and their input is valuable as they are the ones working hands on with our clients. Listening to our Administrators regarding the kinds of services that are needed over the ones being rendered is very important because we want to offer services that are actually needed.Administrators must be motivated and believe in the program and services. We must trust our administrators and appoint educated, experienced people to administer as well as appoint responsibilities.
With the right administrative staff anything can be possible. Not taking our administrators concerns seriously can also result in complete failure as they might see the flaw that we are overseeing. Selecting the right amount of staff that are well educated, experienced and competent is a must in order to make these human service programs keep running for years upon years.Not only do we reply solely on the staff we select but they are the ones that allow the organization to open and close every day.
Regarding the St. Joseph Family Homeless Shelter our staff is considered secondary stakeholders a long side our community as well “Secondary Stakeholders – usually external stakeholders, are those who – although they do not engage in direct economic exchange with the business – are affected by or can affect its actions (N. A. , 2013).
Staff feedback is necessary because they can provide us with what methods and guidelines need to be cut and or added. If there is a loop whole as in almost all organizations our staff will be the ones to know. Providing our staff with the daily essentials to work such as a desk, computers, fax machines, copy machines, phones, internet, pens, paper are all things that staff should have our staff expects us to provide them with the essentials and a clean, comfortable place to work and we expect them to produce numbers, volume.If we make it a pleasant place to work then it will project on to them and they will project it in their work.
The Staff working are the people serving and assisting our client’s day in and day out, keeping them content and allowing them to feel that their concerns and voices are being heard and not falling on deaf ears is very important. It is extremely important that when a program is being developed that a good location is selected for the location of the services being rendered. The targeted population must be taken into consideration.Usually the voices of a community are heard and loudly.
It is important that when selecting a location makes sure that they are away from school zones and kid friendly environments. The communities as a whole are key stakeholders. If the community feels that the organization and the services will further more ruin their community as they do have the power to riot as well as bring unwanted and unsolicited publicity that may hurt the organization in this case the St. Joseph Family Homeless Shelter.
Community residents – the people CDCs purport to serve – are the most important stakeholders of all” (R. A, 200). It is important we address any concerns the community has right away as well as implement resolutions to issues that seem to worry the community. It is known that an organization that seems to be detached from the community who are crucial stakeholders seem to become counterproductive and it actually works against the organization.
All in all stakeholders are very important pieces that make up the puzzle. Not one piece is bigger than the other.When one aspect of the organization fails or falls short of what was expected it forms a ripple effect and can potentially hurt and affect other areas as well. There are certain comprises that can be made in order to help the Shelter such as hiring less staff and perhaps cutting down budgets of certain departments such as finding generic brands of food to use for the people in the shelter, generic brands of soap, clothing, in bulk finding vendors to come on with contracts that can counsel and help aid clients rebuild their lives , volunteers are always a big money saver; we an get volunteers for many different things as well as offer nonpaying internships.
The ideas mentioned are all simple suggestions that can help significantly in saving the funding for the St. Joseph Family Homeless Shelter and similar organizations.References:1) N.A, 2013: New Jersey Department of Community Affairs: NJDCA/SAGE; Retrieved From: http://www.nj.gov/dca/ 2) N.A,2013: Stakeholder (corporate): Retrieved From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stakeholder_(corporate) 3) Anglin , Roland V: Stakeholder Community Development: Shelter Force Online Retrieved From: http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/114/anglin.html
